My First Purchase of 2023 - 1794 C5a (R.4) Half Cent 0

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

I do not have a large coin collection. Still, I made a promise to myself that I was not going to buy coins that did not align with my collecting goals. Despite seeing many beauties at several local/regional shows this year, I walked out empty handed. This was very challenging for me, because I can be easily seduced by the neat, cool, or just beautiful coins. The money starts to burn a hole in my pocket, and I can get impulsive and start to rationalize buying coins without purpose. However, I know that even smaller purchases can push my coin goals beyond reach... so, I successfully resisted and I am glad I did.

I was able to recently purchase this 1794 C5a Half Cent (PGCS XF40/EAC VF30). I do not have it in hand yet, but I am thrilled that I was able to strike a deal on this coin. This coin came from the Jim McGuigan collection, and was preceded in ownership by Michael Demling and Gene Braig. I love the clash under the chin that identifies this coin as a rare late die state (Manley 2.0).

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

[zadok]

...excellent choice well worth the wait....

[Coinbuf]

Wonderful coin!  Congrats!

[Lem E]

Very nice brother. Congrats on the newp. Hope it’s even better in hand. 

[Zebo]

One of my favorites - nice!

[Hoghead515]

Very nice. I love it. This thread is proof that patience is highly rewarded.  Congratulations on a very beautiful half cent. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Hoghead515

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

Thanks all.  I am really excited to get this one.  It's a tougher coin in the series, and most straight graded XF examples have problems.  This one is honest, and I can't wait to have it in my hand.  Here are the sellers pics:

[J P M]

Very nice coin. I think it is very cool.

[World Colonial]

On 2/3/2023 at 4:30 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

I do not have a large coin collection. Still, I made a promise to myself that I was not going to buy coins that did not align with my collecting goals. Despite seeing many beauties at several local/regional shows this year, I walked out empty handed. This was very challenging for me, because I can be easily seduced by the neat, cool, or just beautiful coins. The money starts to burn a hole in my pocket, and I can get impulsive and start to rationalize buying coins without purpose. However, I know that even smaller purchases can push my coin goals beyond reach... so, I successfully resisted and I am glad I did.

Your description is my philosophy too, except that I am not tempted to make random impulse purchases and the primary reason I don't is the reason you gave.

I'm not rich and my primary interest requires my entire coin budget.  The vast majority of collectors don't like to collect this way, but it's the only realistic option for most to complete anything that is an outlier from what most collect.

Nice coin, by the way.  Definitely good surfaces for the type.

[RWB]

Excellent early copper! Your coin oozes history and character....From which of several suppliers did the copper originate, or did it come from a batch sold the mint by Chief Coiner Voigt? Was this copper imported or native from New Jersey? Might David Rittenhouse have handled this coin when it was new as he inspected the coinage?

[Table of copper purchases 1792-1798]

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

Thanks everyone... I am waiting like a dog at the door for the mailman today.

@RWB  I love the thought-provoking insight.  I have bee reading From Mine to Mint and making a list of questions.  I am holding them till the end, as they may be answered in the text.  But, as I read that book and think about this coin... those are the fun types of ponderings that result.

[FlyingAl]

Great half cent! It looks super original and the it appears to be evenly worn which I prefer to see. 

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

The coin arrived... I opened it right away, and I am thrilled with it. The pics are good in representing the wear, but the color is very even and smooth. It is obvious that this coin has been loved throughout its life, and has been brushed when it needed it. It's better than I thought it would be. 

[Fenntucky Mike]

Congrats on the NEWP! I really like this one.

Don't love it too much! As long as you don't handle it like Hugo did his pet "bunny" George you'll be ok. 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Fenntucky Mike
Grammar

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

On 2/4/2023 at 2:10 PM, Fenntucky Mike said:

Congrats on the NEWP! I really like this one.

Don't love it too much! As long as you don't handle it like Hugo did his pet bunny "George" you'll be ok. 

 

Thanks @Fenntucky Mike.  I have a dent in my chest from hugging the holder.  George was president when it was made.  Coincidence?

[Coinbuf]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:38 AM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

The coin arrived... I opened it right away, and I am thrilled with it. The pics are good in representing the wear, but the color is very even and smooth. It is obvious that this coin has been loved throughout its life, and has been brushed when it needed it. It's better than I thought it would be. 

That is awesome, sounds like one that you will really enjoy owning and viewing.

[RWB]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:13 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

@RWB  I love the thought-provoking insight.  I have bee reading From Mine to Mint and making a list of questions.  I am holding them till the end, as they may be answered in the text.  But, as I read that book and think about this coin... those are the fun types of ponderings that result.

Glad the book is generating questions. Please send them along to me. I'm in the final 20% of the follow-on book and want to answer as many questions as I can in it. At the moment there are 20 sections over about 400 pages. It will have the same 6x9 format. The draft cover looks like this:

Edited February 5, 2023 by RWB

[RWB]

If you, or anyone else, want some fascinating page flipping, go to the NNP website and  look for NARA Philadelphia Entry-1 Box 002 1792-1817 Warrants. Here's the first page of warrants.

The Warrant Journal shows purchases of materials, supplies, horses, horse food, copper, iron and steel for making dies and machinery, guard dogs, skilled and unskilled labor, and on and on. A glance through just this first page offers some new words to search for: perches, scantling, castings, warrant....Then there's figuring out use of the archaic "long-s" that looks like an "f" without the crossbar....How were firebricks made out of clay, etc? This journal might be one of the single most fascinating volumes in American numismatics -- and your little half-cent is, and came from, the very heart of the period, events and people.

Edited February 5, 2023 by RWB

[Fenntucky Mike]

 

On 2/4/2023 at 8:32 PM, RWB said:

Then there's figuring out use of the archaic "long-s" that looks like an "f" without the crossbar...

During my elementary years I cooked up my own unique, I thought, penmanship. I tried to consolidate pen strokes to a min., the "S" shape became the base structure for my "slursive" letters S,F(with cross bar) G (lower case), and so on. My teachers were not impressed, but I continue to use that letter structure to this day. I have very unique penmanship, nearly illegible, but I write fast. 😆

Edited February 5, 2023 by Fenntucky Mike

[RWB]

My penmanship is illegible without having to invent new letter forms. Of course, there is always Icelandic which uses some of the archaic letters

Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters)
A	Á	B	D	Ð	E	É	F	G	H	I	Í	J	K	L	M	N	O	Ó	P	R	S	T	U	Ú	V	X	Y	Ý	Þ	Æ	Ö
Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters)
a	á	b	d	ð	e	é	f	g	h	i	í	j	k	l	m	n	o	ó	p	r	s	t	u	ú	v	x	y	ý	þ	æ	ö

Edited February 5, 2023 by RWB

[Just Bob]

 

Great coin! Congratulations!

[bsshog40]

Sweet coin. I only dream of having something older than 1800. Lol